Generally, a fuel cell system may include a fuel cell stack, and a fuel supply part for supplying fuel containing hydrogen to the fuel cell stack and an air supply part for supplying an oxidant containing oxygen necessary for an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell system having the above structure generates electrical energy by the electrochemical reaction of fuel and air and discharges heat and water as by-products of the reaction.
The fuel cell stack is formed by successively arranging separating plates, and the separating plates may be disposed on both sides of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), respectively, across the membrane-electrode assembly.
The separating plate may include a pair of metal plates, and the separating plate is provided with a hydrogen flow channel and an air flow channel for supplying fuel and air to the membrane-electrode assembly, respectively, and a cooling water flow channel for fluidizing a cooling medium (for example, cooling water). At this time, the cooling water flow channel may be provided so that the cooling medium flows into the space between the pair of plates. Here, each flow channel is formed by a channel and/or a rib.
As a conventional method for manufacturing a separating plate for a fuel cell, a method of partially modifying/remodeling a general metal lath or expanded metal lath process has been used. However, when a metal porous separating plate is manufactured by the conventional metal lath or expanded metal lath method, there are technical problems such that the time/expense required for constructing/manufacturing molding press apparatuses and precision molds increases and the production efficiency decreases.